The name Goulcebay, like many surnames, is habitational in origin, meaning that the first bearer of the name took it from the place where he lived. In this case, it comes from the name of a town in Lincolnshire called Goulceby. The name of the town evolved from its original form of Colchesbi over 200 years, between the 11th and 13th centuries. The original name meant "farm of Kolkr," an old Scandinavian personal name.

Goulcebay Early Origins

The surname Goulcebay was first found in Lincolnshire, where the name first appeared in written records in the early 13th century, such as the Assize Rolls of Lincolnshire, which list Ralph de Golkesbi as having lived there in 1202.

Goulcebay Spelling Variations

Goulcebay Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Goldsby, Goulceby, Golkesbi and others.

Goulcebay Early History

Goulcebay Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Goulcebay research. More information is included under the topic Early Goulcebay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Goulcebay Early Notables (pre 1700)

Goulcebay Early Notables (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Goulcebay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Goulcebay name or one of its variants: Richard Goldsby, who arrived in Maryland in 1674; as well as many others to follow.

Skordas, Guest. Ed. The Early Settlers of Maryland an Index to Names or Immigrants Complied from Records of Land Patents 1633-1680 in the Hall of Records Annapolis, Maryland. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1968. Print.

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The Goulcebay Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Goulcebay Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.